Vacation of a Lifetime
by Karel
Summary: Lucas, Bridger and Kristin go on vacation. (I know, such a stimulating summary...)**Completed**
1. Off on an Adventure

A warning: this has been sitting around for ages but it's not finished. I hope to complete it but with the coming holidays, it may be slow going. Apologies in advance.   
  


Vacation of a Lifetime   
  
  
  


Lucas stared at the tickets and the itinerary in his hand. "Captain... I'm... I can't accept this!" He lifted his face to look at Bridger's amused expression. "It's too much!" the teen protested. 

"C'mon, kiddo. It's a present; accept it gracefully. We'll have lots of fun. Unless.... perhaps Kristin and I will cramp your style?" Bridger chuckled, happy with himself, excited about the trip and the fact that he had managed to surprise the teen.   
  
  
  


Lucas smiled slyly at the older man. "I'll have to get a style first... maybe I should borrow Ben's?" he asked innocently   
  


The captain's pained groan caused the teenager's face to split into a huge grin. The captain conceded; the kid had won that round. 

"The launch leaves in an hour. Are you going to pack, or are you going to wear those same clothes for the next two weeks?" Nathan asked, shaking his head and wondering what he was getting himself into. 

Lucas stared at the captain in surprise, then glanced at the itinerary details. It was true, there was just over an hour left for him to get his stuff together and get down to the launch. "How long have you had this organized?" he asked, suddenly suspicious that the captain had been holding out on him. 

"A while," the captain nodded with delight, confirming the boy's theory. 

Lucas prepared himself to argue with the captain about the short notice, but was forestalled by the captain's not-too-subtle tapping of his watch. Lucas realized with a frown that he was going to have to delay his discussion, if he was going to make it to the launch. Then the realization struck that he would have plenty of time over the next 14 days to get his point across. "I'll be right back," he said flashing the captain a cagey grin.   
  


**** 

Lucas ran through the airplane door, throwing their boarding passes at the stewardess as Nathan followed close behind. "Hurry!" The Captain called back down as Kristin sprinted into view, pocketbook bumping against her hip. The Doctor flung herself onto the plane as the stewardess pulled the heavy door shut behind them. 

"Find your seats, quickly. We're about to start take off prep," the steward informed them some what nastily, as he exchanged looks with the blond flight attendant. There's always one or two troublemakers each flight, he thought silently to himself. 

Hurrying down the aisle, Lucas started to protest when Kristin moved in to take the window seat but one glare from the Doctor was enough to keep him quiet. He sat down in the middle seat and busied himself with his seatbelt. 

Nathan tossed their carry on luggage in the open compartment and sat down breathlessly. "See, I told you we'd make it in time." He gave them an innocent smile while the others just stared at him. 

The next couple of minutes were spent arranging their seat belts, and looking through the literature in front of them. Lucas glanced at the emergency guide and then stuffed it back into the pocket. As the flight attendant started her safety spiel, the teen whispered to the Captain, "Why an Alaskan cruise?" 

"What do you mean?" The older man looked somewhat confused. 

"All the time we spend on a boat under the water, I would think that you'd want to get as far as the ocean as you could," Lucas explained. 

Nathan shrugged. "I don't know. Can't help myself, I guess. It'll be nice to spend time on top of the water, in the sun, see a few sunsets. I don't like to be cold, so skiing is out." At that, he dropped his head back against the seat, closing his eyes. "Carol and I always talked about taking a long cruise to somewhere exotic, but we never... " His voice trailed off. " It'll be nice to be pampered for awhile, not have to worry about the boat, not having responsibilities," he finished. 

"It hasn't been a very auspicious beginning," Kristin stated firmly. "I hope things get better!" 

The drink cart suddenly appeared, as it slammed Nathan in the elbow, and a dark haired stewardess with a plastic smile, said "What can I get you?"   
  


Nathan wore a scowl as he rubbed his damaged elbow while Kristin ordered a hot tea and Lucas asked for a Coke. "Gin and tonic," the Captain growled, and shrugged when Kristin and Lucas gave him a strange look. "Hey, I'm on vacation!" he exclaimed. 

Lucas pulled the folded itinerary out of his pocket and opened it, studying it like it was the insides of the vocorder. "Wow - I've never been to Alaska! This is going to be great."   
  


Opening up his briefcase, Nathan pulled out a glossy, colorful brochure from Princess Cruises. "Here's some information about the ports where we'll be stopping. There some places in Canada too. I booked some excursions but we can always cancel them if you don't want to do them." 

Lucas paged through the book, reading the ports out loud. "Vancouver, Juneau, Skagway... a glacier! Maybe we'll see some polar bears!" 

Reaching over to page through the book, Nathan pointed out several things. "I thought we could do the wildlife cruise in Juneau, scuba diving in Ketchikan, and the Yukon railroad in Skagway." 

Smiling fondly at the two bowed heads buried together in the cruise book, Kristin murmured to herself, "What ever happened to sitting around the pool and relaxing?" 

***** 

The taxi stopped at the port and the driver helped Nathan dragged their bags out of the trunk while Lucas and Kristin stood staring wide eyed at the huge ship waiting for them.   
  


"Mmm, could I get some help here?" Nathan asked plaintively.   
  


Lucas and Kristin turned to find the Captain weighed down with several pieces of luggage while other bags sat surrounding his feet.   
  


Letting out a short laugh, Kristin flagged down a porter who loaded up their luggage. As they followed the porter into the cruise terminal, Lucas ran ahead, exploring and then met them at the check in counter.   
  


As Nathan presented their cruise papers to the cruise employee, Lucas wiggled impatiently until Kristin placed a light hand on his shoulder. They were asked for IDs and Lucas and Nathan pulled out their wallets while Kristin rummaged through her purse.   
  


The woman behind the counter studied the IDs, glancing up once or twice, and then turned to her computer, typing on the keyboard. "And which one of you is the parent of this young man?"   
  


Kristin and Nathan exchanged glances and Nathan put his briefcase on the counter, unzipping it. "Neither of us are but I have..."   
  


The woman stood up, pushing their cruise documents back across the counter to them. "We cannot allow any unaccompanied minors onto the boat. There are legal issues to consider, " she informed them in a nasty tone.   
  


Lucas stood there awkwardly, head down, as he twisted his foot nervously into the carpeting. Great, the vacation of a lifetime and it's ending before I step on the ship, he thought. My parents manage to screw it up and they're not even here!   
  


Using his best command 'look', Nathan said in an icy voice, "If you would give me a chance, ma'am, I have signed papers from the boy's father giving me all parental rights."   
  


Grabbing the papers back, the employee quickly stamp them. "So you are the boy's guardian. You should have just said so in the first place." Handing them plastic cards and two packet of papers, she went on in a bored, sing song voice, "Here are your room keys. You can also use them to charge your shipboard purchases. When you board, there will be people to help you find your cabins. Buffet lunch is on deck ten. We depart at 5pm. Have a good trip." With that, she turned to another couple, who pushed forward, elbowing the SQ group out of the way.   
  


Kristin gave the men a warm smile and put her hands on each hip. Getting the hint, Lucas and Nathan hooked arms with her on either side and they walked silently up the plank to the ship. 

  
  


**** 

The cabin steward opened the door, Lucas walked in, stopped abruptly, in awe of the cabin that would be their home for the next two weeks.   
  


Bridger lightly shoved him to get him out of the way and proceeded into the suite, dropping his carry on bag by the couch. There was a knock at the adjoining door and Nathan opened it to find Kristin standing on the other side.   
  


"Enough room for you boys?" She inquired humorously.   
  


The cabin was a two room suite, a bedroom and a living room with a convertible couch. Tastefully decorated in warm earthy tones, the room was spacious with a sliding door leading to a veranada. Kristin was in a mini suite next door.   
  


"Captain, this room must have cost you.... more than I can ask you to spend on me!" Lucas gave the Captain a worried look.   
  


Wrapping an arm around the boy, Bridger explained somewhat sheepishly, "Actually, this is all Kristin's doing. When I mentioned going on a cruise, she called a friend from Med School who's married to a major stockbroker of this line. The cabin I paid for is somewhere down on Deck one and is the size of a shoe box. So thank Kristin for this suite. "   
  


Lucas was still feeling like a stowaway. "I have some money put away and I'll be glad to contribute my share."   
  


Placing his hand on the teen's cheek, Bridger looked him in the eyes and stated firmly, "This is my gift to you. I want to do this for you."   
  


Kristin, who was checking the contents of the mini bar, turned and said, "So say thank you gracefully and be quiet." 

Looking back and forth between the two of them for a minute, the teen's face lit up with happiness. "Thank you, Captain, Kristin. This is going to be a great vacation!"   
  


****** 


	2. Dressing up and doing the town

  
  


I should mention that I don't have a beta for this story, though the early parts have been run through the ELF list several times. I'd appreciate it if you see any errors or if something doesn't make sense, let me know. Thanks.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**********   
  


The next few hours were spent unpacking, exploring the ship and having lunch. Eventually, the trio ended up at the pool, relaxing on lounge chairs and drinking pina coladas. 

"Those solar panels are so strong, I feel like we're in the Caribbean."   
  


Kristin adjusted her sun glasses and reached for the sunscreen. "Yes, I never thought Alaska would be this warm. You better give me that sunscreen when you're done. Submariners are famous for their white legs." Bridger looked over to the teen who had been strangely quiet. Lucas was sitting, watching a father and his children splashing in the pool. "Lucas? Luuucccasss.... earth to Lucas, come in, Lucas." 

"Mmm, yeah?" The teen asked absently, not really paying attention. 

"What time do you want to help wash the dishes tonight? Early seating or do you mind staying up late?" This got the teen's attention and he swung around to give the Captain a funny look until he realized the older man was joking. "Very funny." 

"Kristin and I are going to get massages in the spa tomorrow. We didn't think that you'd want to go so will you be all right for a couple of hours by yourself?" 

"Yeah, there's a bridge tour that looks interesting and I want to check out the video arcade." The teen stood and stripped off his tee shirt. "And we're still technically in California waters, headed into Canada, so this isn't the Alaskan sun yet." With that he ran to the pool edge and jumped into the pool.   
  


"Smart aleck kid, " Nathan muttered.   
  
  
  


******* 

Before long, it was time to go back to the cabins and get ready for dinner. Lucas came out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel as Nathan was pulling a suit jacket and silk dress shirt from the closet. 

Yanking open a drawer, Lucas studied the contents intently, and then slammed it shut. "Um, maybe I'll just order room service. I'm kind of tired." 

Giving the kid a knowing smile, Nathan handed him the jacket and shirt. "These are yours. Kristin figured that you wouldn't have anything dressy packed so she went ahead and ordered some new clothes for you. Think of it as an early Christmas present. You'll need them eventually, anyway, if you're planning on presenting grant proposal and papers." 

Gingerly accepting the black silk shirt and the gray suit jacket, Lucas examined them critically. "These will do," he said approvingly, wondering silently how a woman old enough to be his mother could actually pick out clothes he liked. Walking to the closet, he checked out the other shirts and trousers that were hanging there. "Yep, these will go over better in the dining room then my flannels." 

They finished changing quickly and Nathan rapped on Kristin's door. 

"Come in" came the voice, faintly, from the other side. 

Nathan pushed the door open and went in, followed by Lucas. Both looked around the room curiously, not seeing the Doctor. 

"Out here," Kristin's voice called. 

They walked towards the bedroom to find Kristin sitting outside on the balcony, dressed in a black cocktail dress, wine glass in hand. It was cool outside with a slight sea breeze but it was still comfortable. The sun had begun to set with a hint of pink and purple. 

"Now this is the life," she informed them happily. 

"Is the Queen enjoying herself, " Nathan joked, giving Lucas a wink, but he bit back his laughter at the look that Kristin gave him. "Are you ready? Lucas is wasting away to nothing. It's been two hours since he ate last." 

"Boy, you really are trying to annoy everyone tonight, aren't you. Never mind him, Lucas." Kristin held out her hand to the younger man. "I need an escort for dinner. Will you do me the honor?" 

Laughing at Bridger's mock expression of horror, Lucas bowed to the Doctor and took her hand. "You dress me better than my own mother. It would be my privilege." 

They walked off, leaving Nathan to catch up to them and walk behind to the dining room. After formal pictures outside the dining room, they were shown to their table. The three of them had a gourmet meal, stuffing themselves from soup to dessert. Conversation revolved around past vacations and Kristin reduced the two men tears of laughter at her description of a family camp out with her daughter and her last husband. 

During dinner, Lucas noticed the family from the pool earlier sitting at the table next to them. The boy and the girl, who appeared to be twins, were excited because their ice cream had arrived at the table and their dad was finding ways to distract them so he could sneak a bite. This lead to squeals of laughter and good nature teasing on all sides. Pangs of regret struck the teen as he watched the happy children hug their parents and he turned away. 

After dinner, the trio decided to go to the theater to watch the show of the evening, featuring various singers and dancers. 

Walking along the hall, suddenly Nathan missed a step while Kristin grabbed his arm and Lucas clutched the wall as the ship rose quickly and then dropped. 

"Whoa! What the heck was that?" Lucas, blue eyes wide, looked at the others in amazement. "How come I feel as if I'm on a roller coaster?" 

"Must be really choppy out if the ship is rolling so much," Nathan mused. The ship rolled again as they tried to stay on their feet. "Maybe it's a storm." Pulling Kristin's hand into his own, he continued walking and the teen trailed them a few steps behind, preoccupied with the ship. "Is it me or does the kid have something on his mind?" He whispered discretely to the Doctor. 

"He does seem somewhat distracted tonight," Kristin whispered back. 

"I'll try to talk to him later," Bridger said under his breath as they arrived at the theater.   
  


***** 

Later, after the show and checking out the ships stores briefly, Kristin said she was tired from a long day and went to her cabin. Nathan and Lucas also went back to their cabins and got ready for bed. The sofa bed had already been turned into a bed for Lucas. Nathan sat in a chair while Lucas was in the bathroom. Pulling down the covers, the teen slipped between the sheets, plumped the pillows and glanced up to find the Captain watching him. 

"What?" The teen asked in a puzzled tone. 

"Lucas, is everything....all right? Do you want to talk about something?" Bridger asked gently. "Are you happy with this vacation?" 

Lucas played with the edge of the blanket, looking out the sliding doors and then he smiled at the Captain. "Yeah, sure, everything's fine. What are we doing tomorrow?" 

Nathan hesitate for a minute and then accepted the change of subject. "Sleep late, eat a lot and sit around on our butts. Sound good to you?" 

Smiling and nodding his head, Lucas laughed and said, "Sounds decedent. Good night, Captain." 

Bridger shut off the light on the way to his room. "Night, kiddo."   
  


***** 


	3. Lucas turns green

  
  
  
  


After tossing and turning for several hours, Nathan sat up right in bed. The ship's movement seemed exaggerated this evening, the rolling of the sea underneath giving him a slight headache. Leaving the bedroom, he made his way through the dark, to the bathroom in search of some pain reliever. A groan caught his attention. "Lucas?" 

Heavy breathing from the sofa area, and a weak voice answered, "Captain." 

Flicking the light on, the Captain hurried to the sofa bed and found the teen curled in a ball, bathed in sweat. "What's wrong? Why didn't you wake me?" 

"My stomach. The ship - rolling, rocking... I think I'm....seasick," the teen said miserably. "I didn't want to bother you. It seems so .... stupid. I thought it would go away if I laid here for awhile." 

Swallowing a chuckle at the teen's situation, the Captain laid a hand on the teen's forehead. "You don't have a fever." 

"I feel horrible! Shoot me now, and put me out of my misery." The teenshifted, trying to sit up and his complexion went gray. Clamping his hand over his mouth, Lucas leaped out of bed and ran into the bathroom. 

Bridger followed him and rubbed his back comfortingly as the boy vomited into the toilet and then helped him back to sit at the edge of the bed. Wetting a face cloth in the sink, he wiped Lucas' face and hands. Opening the dresser drawer, he pulled out a clean, white tee shirt and helped the boy change, and then told the boy to lay down. Knocking lightly on Kristin's door, it was only a minute or two, when the door opened and Kristin appeared, wrapped in a robe, still groggy with sleep. 

Before the Doctor could protest the late night disturbance, Nathan simply said, "Lucas is seasick." 

Instantly, Kristin became alert. "I have something to give him," she remarked before she disappeared back into her room. 

Sitting back on the bed, Nathan patted Lucas' hand and reassured him."Kristin will fix you up right away." 

When Kristin came back with a glass of water, she opened her hand to reveal two pills and extended a glass of water to the teen with the other. "Swallow these and you'll feel better in no time." When he stared at her in disbelief, she added, "Unless you'd like a shot instead." She grinned when he promptly changed his expression and grabbed for the pills and water. Rearranging the blankets on top of him, she sat down on the bed next to Nathan. "We'll stay with you till you fall asleep." 

Lost in their separate thoughts, there was silence in the room and five minutes later, the teen had dropped off to sleep. Moving quietly to the adjourning door as so not to disturb the boy, Nathan put an arm around Kristin and pulled her close. "Thanks. Sorry to wake you," he whispered. "He was suffering in silence, didn't want to bother us." 

"No problem. Let me know if he needs anything else." Stretching up, she gave Nathan a brief kiss on the lips and slipped back into her room. 

Nathan went back to the sofa bed, smoothed the teen's hair back gently."Feel better, kiddo." He went into the bathroom, took the pain reliever that had been his reason for getting up in the first place and went back to bed.   
  
  
  


****   
  


Lucas was bored. Kristin was shopping. No. Lucas wouldn't exactly call it shopping since he hadn't seen any money exchanged as of yet. They had been walking for two hours and Kristin hadn't bought a thing yet. I'm just looking was all she said with a smile when Lucas had questioned her. When he found out that they were going to Alaska, the teen had pictured the wilderness, wild animals, glaciers. Not the city of Vancouver, their first port of call. They could have stayed in Pearl Harbor if shopping was all they were going to do.   
  


Trudging slightly behind Kristin and the Captain, the teen let out a small groan as Kristin pushed open the door of yet ANOTHER shoe store. Bridger turned the other direction, crossing the sidewalk to have a seat on the bench at the edge of the sidewalk. It was the same thing he had done for the last thirty two million stores that the Doctor had gone into. Throwing a disgruntle look at the Captain, he lowered himself into the seat next to Bridger.   


Giving Lucas a bemused grin, Bridger just shrug his shoulders. "It's the way it been for years - the women go out to gather and the men sit."   


Lucas hadn't been shopping with his parents since his early childhood. Maybe there was something to be said for spending life alone. He squished the ants on the sidewalk with his foot, wishing he had stayed on the boat. His stomach rumbled softly. At least there was food there.   


The sound of childish laughter caught his attention and he looked up to see family he had been watching at the pool yesterday. The mother went into the same shoe shop that Kristin had gone into as the father sat on the bench on the other side of Bridger. The children were eating ice cream cones and playing a game of tag, dancing around each other and circling the bench.   


"Waiting for your wife, too? My credit card is smoking, it's been used so much this morning. I'm Charles Morgan. I saw you on the Ocean Princess yesterday." Mr. Morgan finally stopped talking to take a breath, giving Nathan and Lucas a friendly smile.   


"Hello. I'm Captain Bridger and this is Lucas. And Kristin's not my wife, she's just a friend," Nathan explained.   


"Oh, a Captain. In the army are you? You and your son having a little vacation?" Morgan ignored his kids who were doing gymnastics on the sidewalk, focused intently on the Captain.   


"Actually, I'm with the UEO. And he's not..." Nathan stopped. It just wasn't worth going in to it all with a stranger. "We're having a great time. Looking forward to some kayaking on Glacier Bay."   


"I would have like to have done that but the wife thinks the kids are too little for that. It must be great to have a teenager like your son, so much easier...."   
  


Lucas leaned back against the back of the bench, eyes closed as Morgan prattled on. It seemed that he was carrying the whole conversation because all he heard the Captain say was yes and you don't say. The children were really starting to annoy him with their running and yelling. He thought back to the night before when he puked all over the bathroom like a little kid. God, how embarrassing that had been. He was sure that this would be the last time the Captain and the Doctor invited him on vacation with them. They hadn't mentioned it that morning at all but he knew what they were thinking.   
  


Suddenly, something very cold and wet plopped onto his chest. Bolting upright quickly, he looked wide eyed at the blob of chocolate ice cream starting a slow slide down the front of his shirt. The Morgan children stood in front of him wearing identical stunned expressions, the boy holding an empty cone. "Crap!" he yelled loudly as he stood up and the ice cream fell to the ground. Exhaustion from lack of sleep translated in anger as he became fed up with the whole morning, with the Doctor and the Captain and children in general. Pulling the sticky shirt away from his chest, he informed Bridger icily, "That's it. I'm going back to the boat." Setting off down the sidewalk, he left Nathan and Mr. Morgan without a backward glance, not wanting to let Bridger talk him into staying.   
  


Kristin came out of the store, a woman close behind. "What happened?" She queried as she watched the teen storm down the sidewalk.   
  


"Melissa, Billy, what did you do now!" The other woman demanded of the children as everyone started talking at once.   
  


A half hour later, Nathan and Kristin let themselves into the cabin to find Lucas sprawled across the sofa, asleep.   
  
"Should we wake him?" Kristin whispered to Nathan.   
  


As a warm feeling swept him, Nathan couldn't believe how young the teen looked, his blond hair tousled, cheeks pink, his arms flung wide apart. "He was really grouchy this morning. Let him sleep through lunch and get something later. God knows there no shortage of food around here." Reaching out, he patted the boy's arm softly before they left the cabin.   
  


******** 


	4. A 'family' dinner

OK, let's see if this works. I can't get into my Word Perfect files so I'm fooling around with   
Word, which I don't use and don't understand. I'm really hoping this works.   
  
  
  
  
Lucas woke slowly, listening to the sounds around him with eyes closed. A toilet flushing, people   
laughing and talking, some heavy thuds. It took awhile for him to remember that he was above the   
ocean, not under it. Sitting up, he stretched and saw the large shopping bag sitting inside the   
doorway. So they were back. He wondered where they were and glanced at his watch, noting that   
he had been asleep for over two hours. Going into the bathroom, he washed his face, and   
straightened his hair and clothes, and then grabbed his room key.   
  
Walking down the hallway, he realized how much better he felt after his nap. Taking his time, he   
explored several decks, checking out the entrance to the casino, the movie theater and the night   
club. He passed by the teen center, which had held no interest for him but the sight of several   
laptops against the far wall made him double back. The two girls sitting at a small table helped   
convince him that perhaps the teen center was not as dumb as he originally feared.   
  
That's where Kristin and Nathan found him an hour later, pounding on a keyboard, sucking down   
an iced coffee, surrounded by a half dozen teenagers cheering him on.   
  
Nathan held out his hand and said to Kristin, "That'll be five dollars please," with a smirk on his lips. "Lucas always manages to sniff out the computers."  
  
"And the pretty girls it would seem," Kristin answered dryly, miffed that she had lost the bet.   
  
"Hey, I taught him well," Bridger chuckled.  
  
"Do you mind?" Lucas flashed them an annoyed look.   
  
Nathan and Kristin swallowed laughs as they noticed all the young people in the room had   
stopped their activities and were staring at them.   
  
"Ooops. Sorry, Lucas." Nathan knew that the boy hated to call attention to himself. Two adults   
standing around making jokes at his expense would embarrass him. "See you at 8 for dinner."  
  
Having turned back to the computer, Lucas nodded several times as he faded back under the spell   
of the screen in front of him.   
  
Figuring that was all he was going to get out of the kid, Nathan gave a small wave as Kristin   
practically dragged him by the arm out of the teen center.  
  
Wrapping an arm around Nathan, Kristin asked, "Did you get the feeling that we were NOT   
welcomed?"  
  
"Well, it seems that the kid will be busy for the rest of the afternoon. Would you like to check out the casino, Doctor?"  
  
"That would be wonderful, Captain." Hand in hand, they made their way down the corridor for   
some adult entertainment.   
  
Back in the teen center, Lucas had made friends with a sixteen-year-old named Christopher. In the   
middle of cuthroat game of Spit, Chris' watch alarm went off. "Damn. It's five." He threw his   
cards down on the table and scrambled out of his chair. "I've got get back to my cabin. My mother   
has this strange delusion that since it's a family vacation, we're got to move around like a school of fish. We're going to the show at six. Are you going?"  
  
Lucas thought for a minute. "No, I think I'll stay here till dinnertime. Kristin and Nathan will   
probably go but I'll pass on the unamusing talents of the great Professor Presto Chango."  
  
"Wow, you call your parents by their first names? That's soooo cool. I wish my parents would let   
me hang out here. Maybe I'll see you later, gotta go." He was gone before Lucas had a chance to   
explain his unusual guardian situation.   
  
After Chris left, Lucas decided to log onto his email and sent a message to Ben about what a great time he was having. Ben had gotten stuck on ship duty and he wanted to rub it in a little. Then he decided to go to the pool and swim until it was time to change for dinner.   
  
  
Going back to his cabin after an afternoon of cannon balling into the pool, he was surprised that   
the Captain wasn't there. Showering and changing quickly into a pair of black dress pants and a   
light blue silk shirt, he hurried to their assigned dining room for the evening. When he arrived, he saw that the room was mostly filled and people were already started on their salads and   
appetizers. Seeing Kristin and Bridger seated at a large table at the back of the room, he made his way back to them. As he sat down, taking the menu from the waiter, he asked, "Whats with such a big table for the three of us?"  
  
Kristin and Nathan exchanged glances and Bridger pointed a thumb at the Doctor, saying,"It's her   
fault."  
  
Confused, Lucas saw the Mr and Mrs. Morgan approaching the table with Thing 1 and Thing 2 in   
tow and then it all made sense. "Oh, no," he moaned, "You didn't."  
  
"Now cut that out," chided Kristin. "They're very lovely people and very sorry about the accident   
with your shirt this morning."   
  
As if to prove Kristin was right, the two children stood in front of Lucas with identical solemn   
expressions and presented him with a brightly wrapped box. "We're sorry that we spilled ice   
cream on you, Lucas," the boy said mournfully.  
  
The girl added,"We shouldn't have been fooling around and we bought you a new shirt to make   
up for it."  
  
"It's a souvenir from the ship. We had to pay for it out of our spending money," the boy   
contributed.   
  
"All right, kids. That's enough. Why don't we sit down and order our dinner." Charles directed the seating for his family with the children sitting next to Lucas. Everyone ordered and polite   
conversation was made during salads and appetizers.  
  
While he had not been happy when Kristin invited the Morgans to sit with them, Nathan found   
that he was enjoying himself. Living on seaQuest meant close quarters; everyone knew everyone   
else a little too well. It was nice to meet some new people and 'broaden one's horizons' as it were. Lucas was being quiet again but thankfully, the Morgan children were behaving well. Knowing   
that Lucas had spent very little time with young children, Bridger decided that the teen wasn't   
sure how to relate to them. Well, it was only dinner. He wasn't asking the kid to be their big   
brother. So he ignored the teen and started to explain his work with dolphins to Mr. Morgan.   
  
Kristin was relieved to see that Nathan was deep in conversation with Charles. Lucas was being   
quiet but since there was no one at the table who was anywhere near his age, it was   
understandable. Later, she would make sure to devote some attention to him. After living on   
SeaQuest, it was nice to be able to converse with a mature woman about something other than   
talking dolphins and seaweed.   
  
  
Wondering how he got himself into these situation, Lucas debated how early he could escape this   
domestic nightmare he found himself in. With the adults all but ignoring him, and Billy and   
Melissa making a mess with the salt and pepper shaker, Lucas felt like he had entered the twilight zone. Nothing in his entire life had prepared him for a dinner like this. His childhood memories did not include family dinners. Most of the time he had eaten in the kitchen by himself or if he was really lucky, one parent was home. It had never really bothered him before, but now, surrounded by the poster family for domestic bliss... it depressed him.   
  
A plate was placed before him and he automatically picked up his fork to eat, trying to suppress   
the negative thoughts that were threatening to bubble over. Even now, when he was in the middle   
of the best vacation of his life, his parents could still find ways to annoy him.   
  
The rest of the dinner went smoothly, with the children entertaining them with bad jokes and   
Charles telling funny ones. When the last forkful of dessert had been eaten and the adults had   
finished their coffee, the Morgan children jumped out of their chairs.   
  
"Can we go now, Dad?" asked Billy excitedly. "You said if we behaved at dinner we could go!"  
  
Melissa had grabbed her father's hand, trying to pull him out of his chair.   
  
Cheryl explained,"They were promised a trip to the arcade and then a walk on deck to look at the   
stars."   
  
With the twins dancing and spinning around, goodbyes were said and the Morgans left quickly.   
  
"Anyone interested in going to the movie?" Kristin asked as she, Nathan and Lucas made their   
way for the door.   
  
Lucas shrugged. "Sounds good to me."  
  
As they walked along, Nathan slung an arm around Lucas' shoulder. "Still up for kayaking   
tomorrow?"  
  
A bright smile lit up Lucas' face. "Yeah. I'm really looking forward to that."  
  
Coming to a stop, Kristin?s expression turned doubtful. "I don't know if that's such a good idea,   
Nathan. Cheryl told me that there was a series of tremors last night and that's why the ocean was   
so rough. I'm not sure its safe to be out there in a small kayak."  
  
Noticing the disappointed look on the teen's face, Nathan replied, "I'm sure everything will be all right. Millions of people kayak every year and nothing happens."  
  
Opening her mouth to argue, Kristin immediately shut it again at the frown that Bridger gave her.   
She knew that any further discussion would fall on deaf ears. Nathan was a brilliant scientist and diplomat, but when things concerned Lucas, he tended to think with his heart and not his head. Instead, she continued down the hall. "Come on, slowpokes. We'll miss the beginning of the   
movie."  
  
  
*****  
  
(I miss my Word Perfect.) 


	5. Angst on the high sea

Dedicated to Sammie, my biggest fan! Really, thanks for your comments. I appreciate them.   
  
  
  
  
Late in the afternoon of Day four of their cruise, Lucas and Nathan climbed out of the tender back onto the ship. They were wet and tired but exhilarated after their day of kayaking.  
  
  
"I can't wait to get the pictures developed!" exclaimed Lucas happily. "That was one of the coolest things I've done in my whole life!"  
  
  
Nathan chuckled at teen's exuberance as he stretched the muscles in his back. He was going to be sore and stiff tomorrow but it had been worth it. It had been a beautiful day, sunny with snow covered mountains in the distance. "I don't know about you but I could use a hot shower and some food."  
  
  
"And show Kristin that we made it back in one piece,"joked the teen. "She'll be surprised that neither of us fell out of the kayak or got eaten by a moose."  
  
  
"It's her job to worry about things. She is a Doctor after all. And tsunamis shouldn't be taken lightly, kiddo."  
  
  
"She worries too much," muttered Lucas under his breath as he walked a few steps behind Bridger.  
  
  
Stopping at their cabin door, Bridger fumbled for his key card and opened the door. "What was that Lucas?"  
  
  
"Uh, nothing."  
  
  
Cracking a small smile, Bridger said, "That's what I thought. I'm first for the shower." He disappeared in his bedroom to grab his things.   
  
  
Lucas rapped lightly on the connecting door but received no answer. *Probably up on the bridge   
helping the captain pilot the ship.* Pulling out a magazine, he went to relax on the veranda  
until it was his turn in the bathroom. It had been a warm day while kayaking, though they had to wear wetsuits because of the chilly water but out on the verandah, a cold wind blew and the skies were clouding over. His sweatpants and short sleeve shirt were comfortable for now but if it got any colder, he would have to break out a sweatshirt. He hoped that the sun would come back out for their helicopter trip to the glacier the next day.   
  
  
It felt good to sit and relax in the peaceful atmosphere. As much as he enjoyed it, the day had been physically exhausting. He had never been an outdoors sort of guy, preferring the finer art of computers. The whole trip, he had to admit, was emotionally exhausting for him, as well. Even in college, he had spent most of the time by himself. The whole family vacation thing was new to him and he wasn't used to having so much 'human interaction' around him. Even on the seaQuest, he had his own space and the crew knew when to leave him alone. Just rooming with the Captain was enough invasion of his personal space to bother him.   
  
  
A small rap on the sliding door interrupted his thoughts, and Lucas turned to see the Captain wrapped in a towel, a strange look in his eye.   
  
  
Sliding open the door, Lucas entered the cabin as Nathan stood to one side. "Everything ok, kiddo?" Nathan questioned casually. "You looked like you were a million miles away." He studied the boy's face for a minute. If there was one thing that he was sure about was his ability to 'read' the teenager. Lucas tended to be an open book and Nathan always knew when something was bothering him.   
  
  
"I'm fine." The teenager answered just a shade too quickly. "I was just wondering...um, is it alright if I eat up on deck tonight. He bit his lip, his mind scrambling for a reason. "There's this girl..." he stumbled to get out.  
  
A small smirk sat perched on the Captain's lips. "A girl, uh? Someone you met at the club yesterday? Yeah, sure, I think Kristin and I can get along without you."  
  
  
"Well, you and the Doctor should have some private time," Lucas said teasingly, hoping to change the subject. "I'm going to shower."  
  
  
As the teen disappeared in to the bathroom, Bridger said to his retreating back, "12 midnight curfew. We have to be up early tomorrow."  
  
*****  
  
It was later that night, after a quiet dinner for two, that Kristin and Nathan decided to take a walk in the moonlight on the top desk. The deck was nearly deserted as workers scurried around stacking chairs, cleaning trashcans, and mopping the deck. There were a few people in the hot tub but for the most part they had the deck to themselves.   
  
  
Kristin tucked her arm under Nathan's as they strolled along, a light wind whipping through their hair. "Guess everyone is at the show or in the nightclubs."  
  
  
That's when it started to rain. With a gasp of surprise, Kristin grabbed Nathan's hand. pulling him forward to find shelter as the hard rain began to pelt them.  
  
  
They found a small bar area with an overhang. All the chairs were empty, except for one in the back amid the shadows. The chair was turned away from them so they could only see the back of a head.   
  
  
Nathan laughed, shaking the water out of his hair, brushing off the shoulders of his suit jacket. "So much for the brochure claim of sun lit days and romantic moon lit nights."  
  
  
Kristin returned his smile. "Guess we know where everyone is now."  
  
  
At the sound of their voices, the head in the chair slipped lower as the owner held his breath that he would not be discovered. Lucas couldn't believe his luck. Try to hide on a huge ship and they STILL found him. He quickly wiped his eyes. Maybe if he was really quiet, they would simply go away. The last thing he wanted was the questions that were sure to follow if they noticed he was sitting there.   
  
  
  
The Captain and the Doctor were making small talk in the background, but then there was a long period of silence until the whispers started again. Lucas closed his eyes and bit his lip, not daring to take a peek. He could only imagine what the couple was up to and he really DID NOT want to know.   
  
There was the sound of chairs scraping on the deck as the rain continued to play a tap dance on the roof above. The whispers and laughter got closer and closer to where the teen was sitting.   
  
  
"Nathan," Kristin's voice chided lightly. "We're not teenagers. We could go to the cabin."  
  
  
"But this is more exciting. Like necking in the back seat of the car at the beach."  
  
  
*Crap. Crap, crap,crap* Lucas thought to himself, wishing he could jump overboard instead of being a witness to the romantic interlude that was rapidly approaching him. Things couldn't get much worse.   
  
  
"Lucas?" Two voices chimed together filled with a mix of confusion and surprise.  
  
  
Damn. Things just got worse. He opened his eyes to see the Doctor and the Captain standing there. His first thought was to just stand up and run but he knew that would not help the situation. At some point he would have to face these two.  
  
  
Sitting up in his chair, he went for the cheery response. "Hi!"  
  
  
Raising an eyebrow, Nathan examined teen, his eyes then sweeping over the table that held one cup, one set of silverware and one plate containing a half eaten meal. Even in the low light, it was hard to miss the splotchy reddish skin on the teen's face and the slightly swollen red eyes. It was more than obvious that Lucas had been crying.   
  
  
Bending close to Nathan, Kristin whispered in his ear. "I'll leave you to handle this. Knock on my door when you're finished." She drifted off quickly into the rain and the darkness.  
  
  
Bridger settled into a chair across the table from Lucas. Experienced had taught him that Lucas needed space. "Lucas, I thought you were eating with someone. Is everything... did someone..." Nathan was at a loss for words, having no idea what this was about. In the past, he had at least some inkling what Lucas was upset about but in the ten months that he had known the young man, he had never seen him this upset. What could have driven the teen to tears? Especially now, when he should be having the best time of his life.   
  
  
Lucas, for his part, was totally mortified to be caught blubbering in the dark like some two year old. After all this time he should be able to control his emotions. He hated being weak, especially in front of the Captain. The Captain, who was filled with wonderful thoughts about families, who had suffered so much because of the loss of his wife and son, would never understand. "It's nothing, Sir, really. I'm fine. It's the wind, blowing in my face and all the dust swirling around," he explained. "And there were some other kids here but they decided to go to the club." He rose out of his chair quickly. "C'mon, let's go get the Doctor and check out tonight's show. I think it's a musical." He looked hopefully at the Captain, pleading with him mentally to just let the whole thing drop.  
  
  
Hesitating, Nathan knew he was stuck between a rock and a hard place. If he pushed, Lucas would shut himself up tight as a clam. But if he didn't address the problem now, Lucas would bury it. And he had a feeling that anything that reduced the teen to tears was not something to ignore. Besides, he was a little disheartened that even at this point in their relationship the boy still did not feel comfortable enough to talk to him. "Lucas, please, I want to help you." He rose from his chair to approach the boy but suddenly he felt his legs give way from under him as he went crashing to the deck.   
  
  
The ship tipped wildly to the side as the deck chairs and tables started sliding. Lucas managed to stay on his feet and grabbed one of the chairs to stay balanced. "Captain!" He cried as the ship tipped the other way.  
  
  
Relaxing his body, Nathan let himself roll with the movement of the ship as he tried to protect himself from the chairs that were flying around him.   
  
  
Then as swiftly as it had started the ship leveled itself out and all was back to normal. Lucas hurried over to the Captain and helped him up. "What the hell was that! Are you hurt, Captain?"   
  
  
Taking inventory of all his body parts, Bridger tried to smooth his rumple suit back into place. "I think I'm still in working order. We should go check on Kristin and then find someone who can tell us what's going on."  
  
  
Everything else was forgotten as they hurried to their cabin. Knocking on the connecting door, they were surprised when Kristin launched herself at them, pulling them into a tight hug. "I was worried," she murmured as an explanation.   
  
  
The cruise director came on the ship wide radio explaining that there had been a minor underwater earthquake, which had resulted in the sudden movement. She advised anyone who was injured to visit the medical facility or to contact a crew member.   
  
  
"Are you sure you're all right, Captain," Lucas asked anxiously and he turned to Kristin to explain, "He was knocked down."  
  
  
Kristin immediately sprung into Doctor mode as she seized Nathan's head to examine his eyes. "Knock down! Did you lose conciseness? Does your head hurt? Does anything hurt?"  
  
  
  
Extracting himself from Kristin's grasp, Nathan said firmly, "I am fine." Letting out a loud yawn, he leaned towards the Doctor to give her a quick peck on the cheek. "But I am tired; too much excitement for me. We'll talk tomorrow. Coming, Lucas?" The last bit was more of an order than a question.  
  
  
Lucas gave Kristin a small smile. "Night, Kristin."  
  
  
Catching Lucas' arm as he turned to go, Kristin tilted her head, giving him a quizzical look. She wanted to know what had happened early but didn't want to pry. That was Nathan's territory.   
  
  
Lucas knew what the Doctor was wondering about and didn't want to get into it. Thankfully, the earthquake has saved him from nosy Bridger. Sure, his parents sucked, as did his whole childhood, but he didn't need these adults to sit around and analyze his feelings. Besides, it would ruin everyone's vacation. It was better to bury his emotions deep inside once again.   
  
  
"Good night, Doctor." The teen's voice was hard, his expression tight, leaving no doubt that Kristin should just leave it alone.  
  
  
Kristin knew when to admit defeat, and gave the boy a quick peck on the cheek. "Sweet dreams, Lucas."   
  
  
The teen escaped quickly into his own room, slipped out of his pants and shirt, and jumped into bed, pulling the covers up over his head. He heard Bridger moving around in the bathroom. Closing his eyes, he pretended he was asleep as Nathan sat on the edge of the bed. The teen knew what the Captain wanted but ignored him.   
  
  
Nathan sat for a long minute. Sighing softly, knowing he had lost his golden opportunity for interrogation, he headed for his own bed. Maybe the kid would be more open tomorrow. And maybe pigs would fly too.   
  
  
******** 


	6. In which bad things occur

I'm sorry I haven't posted for awhile.

**I've been doing a bit of research to write this part but if you're a native Alaskan – forgive me. While trying to be fairly accurate, I have manipulated and invented information so they fit the story. If you see any major mistakes, let me know. Just remember that this is set in the future, so who knows what Alaska will be like in 2018?

The phone rang, causing Lucas to literally jump out of the bed. Dragging a hand across his sleep heavy eyes, he let out a loud yawn. He really hated to get up in the morning. And then he remembered; today was the day they went to Mendenhall Glacier. Leaping out of bed, he hurried into the bathroom and went through his morning routine. By the time he finished and opened the door, the Captain was sitting on the edge of his bed. 

Warily, Lucas gave a nod hello and starting pulling clothes out of the dresser. He hoped that the Captain wouldn't start in on him about the night before. Bridger just raised his eyebrow at the teen, and rose to take his turn in the bathroom. After Lucas was dressed, he peeked out the curtains. It was a cloudy, gray day and he hoped that their hiking trip wouldn't be canceled. Flicking on the TV, he ran the channels several times until stopping on an ancient episode of Enterprise. He didn't look up when the bathroom door opened. 

Nathan rummaged the dresser, pulling out blue jeans, a turtleneck and a fleece pullover. Giving the teen a quick once over, he was surprised at the emotional coldness he felt radiating from the boy. Something was definitely going on, though might just be embarrassment from the loss of control he demonstrated last night. His only comment was "pull our heavy jackets out" before he disappeared back into the bedroom. 

After a room service breakfast ate in awkward silence, they put on their boots and went to the lobby where their excursion party was to meet. The lobby was empty and Bridger checked his watch. "Hmmm. We're not late," he murmured. 

They stood around for several minutes, fidgeting restlessly when a large man exited the elevator. The red headed man looked around and then sauntered over to them, extending a meaty hand to them. "Howdy. Are you on the Glacier tour? I'm Cowboy and I'll be your pilot. Seems everyone else pulled out so you are the only two. So let's get a move on it." At that he whirled and headed for the door. 

Lucas and Nathan exchanged looks and quickly ran to keep up with the man's long strides.

Cowboy was a man of few words, especially for a tour guide, so the helicopter ride was a quiet one. Not that either Lucas or Nathan really cared. Even though he had ridden in many helicopters, Bridger had never felt as exhilarated by the view as he felt now. Lucas was bouncing up and down, practically oozing anticipation. As the glacier came into sight, Nathan put a gentle hand on the boy's knees to restrain him. He had to admit that the large sheet of snow and ice that filled the valley was awe-inspiring. 

Minutes later, the helicopter was landing. Lucas grabbed the backpack and jumped out, with Bridger following at a more sedate rate. 

"Wow!" Lucas carefully ran a few feet from the helicopter. "Wow," he repeated again. "Why is it blue?"

Cowboy came around to join them. "Somethin' to do with the light passing through the ice. The ice soaks up the red and yellow colors, leaving the blue behind." He turned back to grab a backpack and started off across the glacier. "Just looks dirty to me. C'mon, I'll show you the trail. You only have two hours."

An hour later, Nathan and Lucas were picking their way carefully through the rocks and crevasses that made up the glacier. Conversation was light and teasing, as they enjoyed the climb up the gentle slope of a small mountain. Doing his imitation of a young mountain goat, Lucas would run ahead, scout the area and come circling back as Nathan took his time, examining the layers of ice and snow under his feet. 

"Come on, Captain. You have to see the goats that are up head." The boy stood in front of him, a wide grin across his face.

"I'm coming, I'm coming. Some of us aren't young anymore, you know," Nathan grumbled. As the cold air started to slip its way around the edges of his clothing, he wondered how Kristin was making out on the boat. "Let's have a break," he suggested, locating a log to sit on. Opening the backpack, he pulled out the water and took a large gulp.

Lucas came dancing back to him and held his hand out for the water. "This is fabulous, Captain." 

Looking up at the overcast sky, Nathan wished for a bit of sun to appear. "It is pretty neat," he agreed. Reaching back into the backpack, he dug around and pulled out two chocolate bars and handed one to the teen. 

Slowly eating the candy, Lucas was lost in thought as he contemplated the peaceful surroundings. A small sigh escaped his lips. "Sir. About last night…" he stopped, mentally preparing himself. 

Patiently, Bridger waited, chanting silently to himself, "Don't push, don't push." 

Dropping his head to examine his hands, Lucas continued, "My parents…well, it never really bothered me before but when I saw all those kids running around…" Damn. This wasn't going well. Bridger would never understand. 

Before he could continue, the ground began to tremble as rocks started falling around them. Nathan pushed him to the ground, covering the teen with his body. Hot breath tickled his ear as the Captain whispered to him,"Lie still. It's an earthquake." 

At the whirring sound that echoed in the distance, Nathan looked up to see the helicopter taking off. It rose 50 feet into the air and then exploded into a ball of flame, debris flying everywhere.

*****

After the earth stopped shuddering, Lucas struggled to get up as Nathan rolled off into a sitting position. The teen quickly scanned the horizon. "The helicopter," he asked in a horrified whisper.

Nathan bowed his head. "Gone," he confirmed.

Taking a minute to digest that information, Lucas tried to calm his emotions." He looked at the area where the helicopter had been. "Should we check the area in case…." He didn't really want to finish the thought.

Nathan thought about it for a minute, but decided that no one could have survived the explosion. But perhaps he should take a look in case the pilot was lying injured.

"Stay here," he ordered in a firm voice but Lucas still looked as he was going to argue. "No, I mean it, stay."

Hiking back to the spot where the helicopter had sat, he searched for a few minutes. There was a large pile of smoking metal, but no body. Shuddering slightly, Nathan decided it was best to leave it for now. The wind was picking up and it looked like it was going to rain any minute. His duty was to keep Lucas safe. Later there would be time for the dead. Making his way back, he shook his head at teen's questioning gaze. 

"What are we going to do now?" A slight tone of panic laced the edges of Lucas' voice. 

Neither felt that it was necessary to point out the obvious – that they were stranded, on a glacier no less.

Grabbing the backpack, Nathan started rummaging through it. "We head to the Visitor Center. It should be that way," he pointed off towards the right, trying to sound more confident then he felt.

"Mmm, can I ask how you know that?" Lucas asked with a trace of humor.

Patting his pockets as if looking for something, Nathan replied, "I looked at the map…which is on the…"

"Helicopter…" Lucas finished. 

Slinging the backpack over his shoulder, Nathan started walking. "We'll be all right, I was a Boy Scout."

Lucas trailed behind slowly. "I wonder what Kristin is doing…

***

Kristin had been headed to the top deck for fun in the sun when she suddenly found herself clutching to the rail in the elevator, trying to stay upright. It wasn't the momentary rolling she had felt the other night. Rather, she was suddenly thrown across the small space, slamming hard into the wall. Blood gushed from her nose as she fell, dazed, to the floor. 

The next thing she knew, the elevator door was open and a crew member was shaking her, telling her to wake up. Gratefully, she accepted the wet towel that was offered to her and carefully wiped her face and hands clean.

Shakily, she stood up. "What happened?" 

"A earthquake has hit the area. We were knocked around by a tsunami," explained the crewman in a heavy accent. 

"What about the people on shore," she inquired, a cold chill running down her spine.

"No word yet. Luckily, with the bad weather, most people stayed on the boat." He helped her out of the elevator. "Are you all right? Can you make it back to your cabin? I need to see where I can help out." 

Waving him off, she said, "I'm in pretty good shape, considering. I'm a Doctor, so I'm going to go down to your Med Bay to see if they need an extra pair of hands." 

"If you're sure, ma'am?" The crew man looked hesitant.

"I'm fine, now go!" She turned to head one way, and hearing the running footsteps behind her, knew that the man headed the other. 

****

Steadily, over the last hour, the ice field gave way to the bare rocky earth until Nathan and Lucas found themselves in front of the tree line of the forest. The weather had worsened. A fine rain had begun and the bitter wind chilled their face and hands.

"I don't think we're in Kansas anymore, Toto," joked Lucas.

Frustrated, Nathan turned around in a circle surveying the surroundings. "Wish I had that map."

"Next you're going to tell me you're better at navigating under the water than above it." Lucas tried to make light of their situation, knowing that the Captain would blame himself for everything. "Maybe we should just stay here. Kristin will let someone know that we're missing and they'll send out a search party."

Taking a few steps away, Nathan took a good hard look at their situation. Great, Bridger, go on vacation and your brain goes to mush; no matches, limited food, no dry clothes. Maybe they should have stayed back with the helicopter. But no, he was sure that the Visitor's Center was here somewhere. Turning, Nathan examined the boy's tired eyes, the pale cheeks, and the lips with a bluish tint. "No. We have to keep going; at least we'll be warmer when we're moving. Let's follow the tree line around the glacier. There has to be someone else around here." Pulling his coat up higher on his neck and then pulling his hat as far down as he could, he set off.

Lucas waited for a minute. He was tired, and cold, and would have rather sat for awhile. The glacier had seemed like an adventure when they had arrived but now he couldn't wait to leave. He wondered what other food was in that backpack as he rose wearily and trudged after the Captain.

He didn't see the large furry beast until the growl caught his attention. By then, it was too late and the bear was suddenly in front of him. The beast's sharp claws caught his arm and the sleeve of his jacket ripped open, as did the skin underneath. Screaming in fright and pain, he fell to the ground, trying desperately to crawl away.

He was only partly aware of the Captain throwing rocks at the bear, attempting to draw it's attention away. 

The bear's claws raked down Lucas' back as he rolled into a ball, trying to remember everything he had ever heard about bear attacks. Unfortunately, his mind was a complete blank as he waited for the bear's teeth to make mincemeat out of him. 

Grabbing a large stick, Bridger started to beat the large animal across the back and was finally rewarded when the bear whirled towards him. Backpedaling quickly, he kept throwing rocks hoping to lead the bear away from Lucas. 

The sharp crack of gun shots filled the air and the brown bear staggered, growled, and then fell to the ground. 

*******  



	7. Bear meat, anyone?

Nathan looked around and saw a woman standing there, rifle in hand. Not sure what to say, he settled for a simple thank you, and ran to the teen who was laying on the ground, unmoving. Checking Lucas' arm, he saw blood flowing through the torn material; the back of his jacket was mangled with blood smeared across the material. He needed to get the teen someplace warm so he could assess the injuries.

"Follow me," the woman said, moving off towards the trees.

Unsure whether he could actually carry the boy, Nathan shook him gently. "Lucas, Lucas?"

Eyes half opened, the teen groaned in pain. "Hurts…." 

"I know but I need you to walk, kiddo. I can't lift you so you have to help me out a little here."

"Gunshots," was the boy's questioning whisper.

"There's a woman; she shot the bear. I think she lives near by. We need to get you to some shelter." Nathan put his hand underneath Lucas' uninjured arm, hauling him up as gently as he could. 

His arm screaming with pain, and his back not feeling much better, Lucas summoned what energy he could and stood up. He felt Bridger's arm go around his waist and he shifted so he was leaning sideways into the Captain. Taking a deep breath, he swallowed the agony that was spreading through his body. 

The woman was waiting for them as they slowly moved forward. A half-mile later, they came to a log cabin. Lucas was feeling weak from blood loss and Bridger half carried him into the small house. The cabin was sparsely furnished, but Nathan noticed that there were books scattered everywhere. Seeing the small bed in the corner, Bridger urged Lucas to keep going and then lowered him on the bed. 

The woman was still standing in the doorway, studying the scene before her, until she seemed to shake herself. Grabbing a bottle of whiskey from a cabinet, she fished around for a clean glass, and walked over to the bed. "I'm Annie. The earthquake must have upset the bear; usually they don't attack so quickly. We need to get your son's jacket off." Pouring the whiskey into the glass, she then handed the glass to Bridger. "Get him to drink some of this. I'm going to have to clean those wounds out and it's bound to hurt a great deal. This will dull the pain a bit." 

Holding the glass to Lucas' lips, Bridger urged him to take a sip. The whiskey burned as it went down his throat and Lucas choked on it. Weakly, he tried to push the glass away. 

"C'mon, kiddo, just a bit more. I'm finally giving you permission to drink and you're not going to take me up on it?" Once again he raised the glass for Lucas to have another sip. "I know it tastes horrible but it'll warm you up." The boy took a few more sips, then turned his face away. "OK, that's good," the Captain said encouragingly. "Let's get this wet jacket off of you." Carefully, he pulled the coat of the boy. Worried about how cold Lucas' hands were, and his lethargic movements, he suggested, "How about you lie down now?" 

Wordlessly, Lucas settled gingerly on his side, trying not to put pressure on his arm or his back. The room was beginning to spin and a roaring was growing louder in his ears. Closing his eyes, he let himself slide into the darkness.   
  
Annie was adding wood to the fire so that it was roaring hot. She watched a few minutes as Nathan caressed Lucas' cheek, ran a comforting hand over his hair. "What's his name?" 

"Lucas," the Captain said quietly as not to disturb the boy. He could see blood still oozing from the deep gashes on Lucas' biceps. "And he's not my son. I'm his…well, it's hard to explain. I'm Captain Bridger, from the seaQuest, and he's part of my science crew."  
  
Turning back to the kitchen area, Annie tore up a towel, which she dropped into a bowl and then poured hot water from a coffeepot into the bowl. Opening a drawer, she pulled out a first aid kit, and placed it, along with the bowl of hot water on the bedside table. From the first aid kit she picked up a large pair of scissors and cut through Lucas' sweatshirt, pulled off the material, depositing it on the floor. 

When she reached for the teen's waistband, Nathan stopped her with a hand and a shake of his head. "He's sixteen and will be totally embarrassed if a strange woman removed his pants."

With a small smile, Annie turned her attention back to the shirt, examining the ripped edges that were crusted with blood. Humming softly to herself, she stood to get a better look Lucas' back. "Don't get many subs around here," she commented. She began cutting the shirt off Lucas, avoiding the injured areas.

"Oh, we're on vacation. A cruise," Nathan explained.

"His parents are on the boat then?" 

"No, his parents…Lucas is on vacation with me. He lives on the submarine without his parents. I'm his guardian." Nathan thought about the words he was saying. Why was it so hard to explain? And why did it sound so odd, even to his own ears?  
  
"Boy his age needs his parents." She had finished cutting away most of the shirt, but there were still patches of blood soaked fabric stuck to the ugly lacerations. Reaching for the bowl, she squeezed the water out of the towel and began to clean Lucas' injuries. "I have to be careful here. The shirt acted like a bandage and stopped most of the bleeding but if I pull the fabric too hard I'll rip the cuts open." 

While Nathan stood watching the woman wash the dried blood from the deep gashes, he absently stroked Lucas' soft blond hair. The boy was quiet – too quiet. 

As she soaked the remains of the shirt, Annie carefully pulled it from the lacerations. This boy may not be this man's son, she thought to herself, but he treats him as one. Walking to the sink, she poured more water into the water and resumed her cleaning. "The cuts on the back aren't very deep but I'm concerned about his arm. It's still losing blood and the lacerations are fairly deep but I don't have any thing to stitch them up. I'm going to bandage them for now and then we'll warm him up. Eventually, a Doctor's going to need to check him out but I think he'll be just fine. He's lucky that bear didn't take his head off." Opening the first aid kit, she pulled out gauze and a tube of antibiotic cream. 

"Do you have some means of communication? Maybe I can contact the ship and they can send some help. Kristin will take care of Lucas when we get back." Once she recovers from the shock of seeing him in this state, he added silently to himself.

Applying a large bandage to the teen's back, Annie asked, "Is Kristin your wife?"  


"No, she's our Doctor." 

"Let me guess, she's part of your crew also," Annie stated a note of humor in her voice. "Did your whole crew go on vacation together?" She pressed down firmly with a piece of gauze on Lucas' arm, trying to stop the bleeding. 

For the first time since the earthquake hit, Nathan laughed, finding the whole conversation rather funny. It would seem odd to an outsider, he had to admit. Fatigue replaced the adrenaline he had been running on and suddenly he felt the need to rest. Sliding down, he propped himself against the wall. Bears, earthquakes, exploding helicopters. Next time, he was staying on the seaQuest. Taking Lucas' cold hand into his own, he tried to explain their strange relationship, " Lucas is not an ordinary sixteen year old. He happens to be a college graduate…."


	8. Make yourself at home

Back on the ship, Kristin decided to take a small detour on the way to the Doctor's Office and went to the bridge. Worried about Nathan and Lucas, she was hoping to find the Captain to see what was being done about the people who had gone ashore. The ship continued to shake and tilt as she made her way up the steps to deck 10. Quiet chaos reigned, with lots of sick people, children crying and crew people scurrying around. Finally, she made it to the bridge area but could not catch sight of the Captain  
  
. Another officer came over to her. "Ma'am, no passengers are allowed in this area. Why don't I find someone to accompany you back to your cabin?"  
  
"I need to see the Captain," Kristin requested firmly. "My traveling companions went ashore on a glacier excursion."  
  
"I'm sorry, Ma'am. Captain Shea is extremely busy right now. If you give me your name and cabin number, I'll have someone contact you later," the officer politely offered.  
  
Kristin did not think of herself as hysterical female type. Certainly, she did not usually allow herself to act like one. Unfortunately, she felt as if this was one of those times for an exception to the rules. "I must see the Captain! My friends may be in need of help!"  
  
"Ma'am, with all due respect, I have shipload of people to think about, not just two people. We cannot help them right now." His voice was firm, his expression serious. "An iceberg has broken off the glacier and there could be more. We need to move this ship away from the shore. I'm terribly sorry but your friends are on their own for awhile. Now, I really need to get back to my job." With that he turned to talk to an officer who was walking by.  
  
Panic started to overtake Kristin as she walked away. All this time, she had been so worried about Nathan and Lucas - and now she might be in more trouble than they were.  
  
**********  
  
Several hours had passed and night had fallen. Nathan was sitting at the table wrapped in a warm blanket, his damp jacket and pants drying by the fire. Over dinner, he had told Annie about the glacier excursion and the exploding helicopter, which had resulted in their confused wanderings. Annie was a friendly, down to earth sort of person and Nathan found her easy to talk to. Most of the time he was in the company of his officers and crew, who never could see past his Captain stripes. Lately, it seemed Kristin and Lucas were the only people he could have a casual conversation with and even then, they were still technically part of the crew. But Annie was like a breath of fresh air, with who he could just be Nathan, with no military garbage to go along with it. So he had ended up telling her all his past, with Carol and Robert, and about his new found family of Kristin and Lucas. Once in a while, he would drift over to the bed to check on Lucas, touching his hand or smoothing back the hair from his face.  
  
Picking up his coffee cup, and taking a long sip of the warm liquid, he smiled at Annie. "Well. Now that I've told you my life story." He let out a short laugh. "I don't know what got into me. Usually I don't .well, let say I like my privacy. But I know nothing about you."  
  
Annie got up and took some of the dirty dishes over to the sink. "Not much to know. I'm a schoolteacher. Once, in another life, I had a husband and a son. They were killed in a car accident ten years ago. I moved up here to spend some time with my brother and his family and I never went back. I decided I liked the peace and quiet."  
  
Rising quickly, one hand holding the blanket around him, he caught Annie's arm with his free hand. "So, now I know why I feel so comfortable with you. We share a similar past." Annie moved out of his grasp, piling the cups and dishes and carrying them to the sink. "There are a lot of people like us, Nathan," she commented bluntly. "People suffer loss all the time but then they get on with their lives." After cleaning the table off, Annie took her coat from off a hook by the door and put in on. "There's a sleeping bag in the wooden chest by the window if you want to lay down and there's lot of books to keep you company."  
  
"Where are you going?" Nathan asked in surprise.  
  
"Going to get some help," Annie informed him. "My radio broke a few months back and I never fixed it. I have a small pickup and it's about ten miles to my brother's help. You should be fine here until I get back." She shoved a hat on her head, and picked up her shotgun.  
  
"Well, we'll go with you!"  
  
"Not in this weather and the truck's too small anyway. And I don't want to wait until the morning. He needs a doctor to take a good look at him." Fishing the keys out of the pocket, she flashed Nathan a smile. "Make yourself at home, I'll try to be back within the hour."  
  
After Annie had left, Nathan washed all the dishes. Thankfully, his pants had dried and slipped them on. Getting the sleeping bag out, he laid it out on the wooden floor, and dropped the blanket on top of it. Lucas was moving fitfully on the bed, moaning softly. "Shh, it's ok, son," he soothed, stroking the teen's arm. "Everything fine, Lucas." It had been a long time since he had the opportunity to comfort a sick boy.  
  
Finally, Lucas fell back into a deeper sleep and Nathan found a ragged old paperback copy of a John Grisham novel. Grabbing two pillows from the armchair, he made himself comfortable on the floor. Three chapters later, he was rudely nudged out of the written fantasy world by a large jolt to the cabin as the earth shook.  
  
Lucas sat up straight in the bed, half asleep crying out in pain and fright. "Noooooo!"  
  
Moving quickly to the teen's side, Nathan gathered him into a tight embrace. "It's a small tremor, always happens after an earthquake. We're safe. Relax."  
  
Blinking several times, Lucas struggled to emerge from the remains of the dream that had invaded his sleep and shrugged out of Bridger's arms. Feeling too warm as pain burned through his injured arm, he pushed the blankets off and lay back on the pillows. "The bear!" he gasped. "He had me. I.I. and then the shaking started again." He stopped, trying to control his booming heart. Becoming more aware of his surroundings, he looked around and asked, "Where the heck are we?"  
  
Nathan told him about Annie and her shotgun. "How are you feeling now?" Putting a hand on the boy's forehead, he was concerned to feel how warm the skin was. "I should check your bandages to make sure you're not bleeding."  
  
Staring at the ceiling, Lucas was subdued as Nathan peeked around the bandages. He flinched when Bridger pressed down firmly on his arm. "Your back is fine, but your arm is bleeding again," the Captain explained putting pressure on the wound. "I need to stop it."  
  
Needing a distraction, Lucas said, "So. When the cavalry suppose to be coming over the hill to rescue us?"  
  
A worried expression passed over Nathan's face. "I thought Annie would have been back by now, hopefully with a medic or a helicopter."  
  
"I am NOT getting onto a helicopter!" Lucas protested.  
  
"We'll cross the bridge when we get to it." Nathan checked the wound again, relieved to see the bleeding had stopped. "Would you like something to eat?"  
  
"I could really use a glass of water. It's hot in here, can you turn that fire down?" Lucas used the sheet to mop the sweat from his forehead. He shifted slightly so he could take a sip from the glass of water the Captain handed him. Groggy from fever, he watched as Bridger rummage through the first aid kit and pulled out an ear thermometer. Eyes half opened, he was only vaguely aware of Bridger searching through the kitchen cabinets. Suddenly, to his surprise, the Captain appeared before him, wearing a yellow bonnet with blue flowers, doing a dance while singing "I Enjoy being a Girl".  
  
**** "Lucas? Lucas?" A voice was calling him from a far distance, as he felt a cooling wetness soothe his burning skin. Once again, the Captain's face, wearing an amused expression, appeared before him as he struggled back to consciousness.  
  
"That must have been quite a dream you were having," commented Nathan, sitting back. Lucas noticed the yellow washcloth with blue flowers in the Captain's hand. "It was.interesting," he explained briefly in a weak voice. "What's happening?"  
  
"You're running a temperature. I'm not really sure why." Actually, Nathan could think of a few things, none he really wanted to consider seriously. "And Annie has not shown back up yet." He handed Lucas two pills and the glass of water. "Here, take these pain relievers. When morning comes, I'll go out and see if I can find some help."  
  
Tossing the pills in his mouth, he gulped down some water. "Ok, so really nothing has changed. Great." Lucas' eyes drifted closed again. "If that damn bear gave me rabies." And he was asleep again.  
  
Bridger dropped the washcloth back into the bowl of cool water and went over to collapse in the armchair. At least there hadn't been anymore tremors. A sick teenager was enough to deal with. There was not much he could do until daylight came. Maybe Annie would show up by then. He didn't want to leave Lucas but he had to go find some help. As he slipped into a light doze, he wondered how Kristin was making out. 


	9. A heart to heart

Thanks to Margaret for her help. 

*******

The next morning, the sky was clear as dawn broke over the mountains. Nathan woke up with a start, confused for a minute by the unfamiliar house. As he made his way into the bathroom, he was relieved to see Lucas was still asleep. Seeing that the rain had stopped, he went outside to see if he could find some means of transportation. The only other structure besides the house was a small wooden garage. It was filled with a jumble of old tools, and large plastic buckets, but there wasn't even a bicycle. There was a large flat cart. Perhaps he could lay Lucas on that and pull him to find help. He couldn't afford to wait much longer for Annie to come back. Lucas was going to need some serious medical attention before too much longer. 

Returning to the cabin, Nathan walked lightly over to the bed. Lucas was rolled over on his side, facing the wall. Nathan thought he was still asleep until a small shudder rippled down his back. Peering closer, he noticed the track of tears rolling down the boy's face. 

Taken by surprise, Bridger stepped back quickly, knowing that Lucas would be embarrassed by the emotional display. Something had been troubling the teen for several days now. Maybe this was the breaking point. 

Lucas had woken up a few minutes earlier. The cabin had been eerily silent, with a stillness that he found unnatural. He thought the Captain had gone, had left him to fend for himself. Though he knew this was totally ridiculous logic, he couldn't help it as depression swept over him. And then, as the door opened, and he felt the presence of another person in the room, he froze. But with all that had happened, the earthquake, the bear and now a fever, he found it difficult to keep control over his betraying emotions. He opened his mouth to tell the Captain to leave him alone Instead, all the anger and bitterness towards his parents that had welled up inside him came pouring out, directed at the man standing beside him. "Sometimes, you make me so …angry. I didn't know any better, before I met you. I didn't know what it was like to have a family, to have people you could trust and depend on." Moving gingerly, he twisted over and turned a hard stare aon Bridger, pain and fury making his body tremble. Seeing the Captain's hurt expression, he tried to stem the flow of ugly words but he was unable to make his body obey him. It was if he had become two people, and he watched helplessly as a madman screamed at his Captain. "I thought my life was normal, that I was fairly normal. And then you take me on vacation, and show me how it's supposed to be… it's not fair. I was doing fine on my own until you came along." The last part came out as a whisper, his pent up emotions unleashed with nothing, not even tears, left. Flopping back down onto the bed, he rolled over to face the wall again, pulling up the sheet up over his head.

Stunned, Bridger didn't know how to react. At first, his temper started to rise but he worked quickly to control it. Getting angry would not be a good solution. He had no idea that the kid felt this way. Then again, it was hard to get Lucas to talk about how he felt about anything. "Lucas," he started, struggling with words, trying to decide what to do next and then he heard noises outside and ran for the door. 

There was a large pickup truck outside with several men jumping out. "Hey there, I'm Annie's brother Greg," a large dark haired man greeted him. "Sorry it took us so long to get here, but Annie had a bit of a run in with a tree. Luckily, it fell in front of her truck and not on it," he chuckled. "I hear your youngun's hurt".

Bridger smiled in relief and gave him a hearty handshake. "I thought I was going to have to start hiking. I'm glad you're here." Starting for the house, he said, "Lucas is in the house. Do you have a doctor with you?" 

Greg and another man quickly caught up to him and they entered the house together. "This is Sam. He's an emergency medical technician."

Shaking hands with Sam, Nathan thanked him for coming. "A bear got him," he explained. "Tore his back and his arm open. Annie washed the cuts last night, and I had to stop some bleeding but haven't checked it today. He started running a fever last night too." 

Hearing the voices, Lucas emerged from under the sheet, trying to compose his face as he slowly got up to sit on the side of the bed, pulling the sheet up around him. Avoiding a glance at Bridger, he gave a shy, "Hi to the man who sat down beside him .   
  
"Hi. My name is Sam and that's Annie's brother, Greg. I'm an emergency medical technician. I heard that you took on a bear and the bear lost. Could I check your arm and your back?" At Lucas' nod, he slipped the sheet down and carefully loosened the bandages. "Hmmmm. Your back looks pretty good but I think you may need some stitches in your arm. What do you say we give you a ride in our pickup to the hospital and we'll let a doc check it out?"

"Well, that would be great, but maybe I could get some clothes before I go out?" Lucas suggested.

A quick check of a closet produced a pair of jeans, a warm pair of socks and an extremely large sweatshirt. "I'm sure Annie won't mind if we use these," Sam said, helping Lucas into the clothes. 

Staying in the background, Bridger let Sam do the work. He could tell that Lucas was ignoring him and would not appreciate any help from him. There would be time later, to talk about what the teen had said, to try and set things right between them. Now, they had to get Lucas to the hospital, where he could get some medical attention. 

Greg grabbed a blanket from the rocking chair and wrapped it around Lucas. "It's warmed out then yesterday, and the sun's out, so you should be ok with this." Going to the closet, he pulled out a thick quilt. "We'll put on the bottom of the truck bed and you can lay on it." 

Sam helped Lucas stand up and they made their way to the truck. Greg followed closely behind while Bridger gathered up their backpacks and his coat. Waiting silently, he watched as Sam jumped in the back of the truck, helped Lucas in and then made him lie on the quilt. Climbing in to the passenger seat next to Greg, he had one thought. What had started as a really great vacation had turned into a nightmare? 

At the hospital, Lucas was loaded onto the stretcher and taken to the Emergency room. A nurse showed Nathan to the waiting room, assuring him that he could see the teen once they got him settled. Nathan wasn't sure if the teen would want to see him. He kept thinking about the things that Lucas had said. Knowing that the boy had been in pain and that most of the emotions had probably been directed at his parents did not sooth the ache. 

"Nathan!" 

Kristin's voice made him look up and he rose as Westphalen through herself into his arms. "Oh, Nathan, are you all right!" She hugged him tight. "It was awful, I was so worried about you and then the boat had to pull out of the dock." She started to cry tears of relief. 

Caressing her hair, Nathan pulled her tight. "Shhh, everything's going to be fine."

"Lucas!" Pulling back, Kristin looked at Nathan in horror. "Where is he?" 

Telling her about the helicopter explosion, he describe their hike and attack by the bear that lead to Annie rescuing them. "So the Doctor's in looking at him." And, oh, I found out that he hates me, but he kept that thought to himself. "Here, let's sit down and you can tell me your exciting vacation story."

The Doctor told him about the effects of the earthquake on the ship, about the passengers injuries and how the Captain, worried about iceburgs breaking off the glaciers, had ordered the boat out to sea. "So finally we received word that you were coming to the hospital and Captain Shea found me a transport. I'm afraid we'll have to find another ride home though." 

Reaching over to give her squeeze, he said, "I'm just happy you're safe."

Regaining her composure, Kristin stood up and extended her hand to him. "Let's go see how Lucas is doing. As his Doctor, they should allow me to at least assist in his medical care." 

Reluctantly, Nathan joined hands with her. He wasn't sure how the teen would react and he didn't want to tell Kristin the whole truth when he knew she'd be upset by it. 

Stopping by the nurses desk, Kristin explained who she was and they directed her to the curtained off area where Lucas was laying. There was no one else in the room, and Lucas opened his eyes when he felt Kristin's hand on his arm. 

"Kristin," he sighed in relief. He was hooked up to an IV and the old bandages had been cut from his arm and back. His back had been rebandaged with clean wrap but his arm only had a temporary dressing on it. His eyes darted quickly towards the Captain, but then just as quickly darted away. Ashamed at his earlier hateful words, he was surprised that the Captain had stayed at the hospital. 

Bridger saw the coldness in the teen's face and assumed that the look was a response for his presence. But like it or not, he was still responsible for the boy until they got back to seaQuest and got everything sorted out. Sitting in a chair in the corner of the room, he decided it would be best if he stayed out of the way.

Fussing over Lucas, Kristin checked his temperature and then insisted he lean forward to check his back. "A bear!" was all she could say, thankful that things were not worse.

Looking sheepish, Lucas nodded. "Sorry." Then he added, "They're going to stitch my arm in a few minutes."  


Glancing over to where Bridger was sitting, Kristin thought it strange that he was in the corner. Usually when Lucas was injured, you couldn't pry the Captain away from his bedside. But now…there was a tension in the air, an awkwardness she couldn't put her finger on. Lucas hadn't even acknowledged Nathan's presence. 

A nurse and a doctor came into the room and Kristin went into a huddle with them about Lucas' condition. Then she turned to Nathan. "C'mon, I think you could probably use a shower, clean clothes and a cup of coffee," she suggested cheerily. "They're going fix his arm and transfer him to a room on another floor for a few nights."

Groaning at the thought of having to stay in the hospital, Lucas averted his gaze as the nurse prepared an injection while the Doctor and the Captain left the room. As they sewed the wounds on his arm, Lucas was left to stew in his own thoughts. How was he going to fix things with the Captain? Were they even on speaking terms and would the Captain forgive him? He knew that he was going to have to explain everything to the Captain but he wasn't sure that he could find all the words he needed to say. 

*******

Kristin felt that she showed admirable restraint as she waited for Nathan to shower, change into a pair of hospital scrubs, and settle down at the cafeteria table with a plate of food and some coffee.

"Would you please tell me what is going on between you and Lucas?" she hissed.  


Taking a long sip of his coffee, Nathan tried stalling. "What do you mean?" he asked innocently. 

"Don't play games with me, Nathan Bridger. That room was colder than a meat locker. Usually, I have to threaten you to get him away from his bedside when he's sick and you're sitting in the waiting room when I get here. And then, the two of you exchange not a single word. Something is going on," she stated firmly. 

Going over the teen's words in his mind once again, Nathan tried to look behind the anger to examine the real meaning of the words. "Think back to that one night, at dinner, when we were talking about other vacations we had taken with our families. Lucas never mentioned any vacation he took with his parents, did he?" 

Kristin thought about it for a minute and then shook her head. 

"We'll call it a delayed teenage rebellion then," he muttered as he hurried away leaving Kristin speechless. Now was the time, he decided. He wasn't going to wait to clear up this tension that existed between them. This time, Lucas was going to have to talk, now, not later. It was too important to their relationship to let the wound fester. 

Checking in at the ER station, he discovered that the teen had been moved to the third floor. As the elevator slowly crept upward, he tapped his foot impatiently, and tried to decide how delicately he wanted to approach the subject. 

Barging through the door to room 1301, Bridger was relieved to see that Lucas was awake and watching television. The remains of a meal were scattered on the table in front of him. 

Lucas instantly became apprehensive when he saw the Captain's expression, determination mixed with displeasure. This is when he throws me off the boat was the conclusion he jumped to immediately. He knew that he wanted to apologize for the things he said earlier but had no idea where to start. One of the perks of growing up alone was never having to say I'm sorry.

"Lucas." The Captain called to the teen, who seemed to be focused on the television. "Lucas," he repeated, "We need to talk."

Oh, god, he's really mad at me, Lucas thought to himself, panicking as he continued to stare at the tv. 

Images from old movies sprang from Nathan's imagination. He could picture the steel gates smashing down to protect Lucas as the teen automatically retreated behind his emotional barriers. Grabbing the remote control from the table, he turned the tv off. "Lucas. Please. We have to discuss what happened." Pulling a chair closer to the bed, he sat in it. "Look at me please," he commanded. 

Twisting his face to the Captain, Lucas would not meet his eyes, but instead concentrated on a spot over his right shoulder. "Have you called my parents yet? Which one will take me in this time?" His voice was flat, devoid of any emotion. 

That left Bridger speechless. Cautiously, he proceeded. "Why do you think I would send you home." 

"Because that's the way it always happens. I screw up, lose my temper, people get angry and I get sent away," Lucas replied dully. 

Letting out a long sigh, Bridger told him gently, "I'm not sending you home. I'm not angry with you. I know something is bothering you and I wish you would let me help you with it. Whatever happened in the past is over. I thought you'd know me better than that by now," he chided lightly. 

Surprised by the warmth in the Captain's voice, Lucas shifted his gaze onto Bridger's face, seeing the concern and sympathy there. "You're not angry?" he asked. "But my parents…."

"You've known me long enough to know that your parents views on child raising are totally different then mine," he suggested dryly. "Now, about your little outburst earlier this morning. I suppose that was about your parents too." 

Sheepishly, Lucas shifted in his bed to find a more comfortable position. Playing with the corner of the sheet, he started to explain. "My parents never took me on vacation. My father would take me on business trips occasionally, especially when they discovered that I was good with computers, but it was always work, never for fun. I went on school trips and every once in awhile, a friend would invite me along with his family. In the summer, they send me to day camp to get me out of the house and to keep me out of trouble. When I went to college, there were a lot of places I wanted to go but when you're fourteen, it's hard to travel on your own.' Sighing, he bit his lip, as he felt tears forming. Knowing that it was the medicine that was making him feel exposed and out of sorts didn't help much. He really didn't want to bawl like a baby in front of the Captain. "I saw all those kids with their parents and I couldn't help but think, what's wrong with me?" Blinking rapidly, he turned from the Captain, trying to regain control again. 

Nathan sat silently for a few minutes, and then went into the bathroom. He came back with a box of tissues and a damp washcloth, which he gave to the teen. Then he sat on the edge of the bed while Lucas blew his nose and washed his face. After the teen had calmed down, Bridger reached out to nudge the boy's chin upward. "Now I need you to listen to me and that is an order," he commanded firmly. "First, there is nothing wrong with you. Unfortunately, when you're a child, your parents make the decisions for you. And on occasion, parents make bad decisions. No, you didn't have a normal childhood, but I can't do anything about that now. You can't do anything about your childhood; accept it as part of your past and move on. Second, you know that Kristin and I care a lot about you. Most of the crew sees you as their little brother. Think of it as making up for lost time. I wanted to share this vacation with you, that's why I brought you. Third, I've told you time and time again it's not healthy to keep all those thoughts and feelings inside. You know I'm always available to listen to you. I want you to come and talk to me. That's what friends do for each other." Tilting his head to one side, he studied the teenager's face. "Did you get all that?"

Lucas managed a weak smile. "Aye, aye, Captain." 

Nathan leaned over so he could hug Lucas to him. Lucas practically fell into the embrace, happy that everything had been resolved. 

There was a soft rap on the door and Kristin stuck her head in. "I trust that everything is going well in here?" She smiled, relieved to see that things were back to normal. 

Nathan moved off the bed and back into the chair. "Come on in, Kristin, we had to clear up a few issues left over from our exciting Alaskan adventure." 

"Uh, Captain, next time you go on vacation, maybe you could leave me home?" Lucas suggested.

"Is that the type of gratitude I get? I was thinking of an African safari next year." 

Thinking back to the bear, Lucas shuddered. "No animals, ok? Maybe someplace that has no wild animals?" 

Kristin looked at both of them in disbelief, "Next time, I am going on vacation by myself. Maybe Commander Ford would like to visit the Caribbean with me."

Nathan became very serious and shook his head at the suggestion. "No, not the Caribbean."

"Why not?" exclaimed Kristin.

"Hurricanes, they have hurricanes in the islands. Don't you think an earthquake is enough?" he explained mischievously. 

Lucas let out a laugh at that and Kristin and Nathan smiled at each other. 

"Now that you two are back on speaking turns, the patient over there needs to settle back for a rest. Since all our bags are still on the ship, I'm going to go out and get some clothes for you two. When I get back, Nathan, you're going to have to figure out how to get us home," Kristin announced in a no nonsense voice. 

"Who's the Captain here?" Lucas muttered under his breath. 

Shooting the teen an evil look, Nathan replied, "I think I can get the UEO to send us some transportation back to Washington."

" I won't get on a ship," protested Kristin, shuddering at the memory of the earthquake.

"I won't get on a helicopter," protested Lucas, shuddering at the memory of the earthquake. 

Nathan sighed, and flicked on the tv. "Goodbye Kristin." 

Kristin bent down to give Lucas a little peck on the cheek. "Try to get some sleep, sweetie". At Nathan's expectant look, she bent down and gave him a kiss on the cheek too, and then left.

Lucas started to doze. "Captain?" he asked, just to make sure. 

"I'm right here, Lucas. Go to sleep." 

***************2002 


End file.
